Medical Professionals Performed Perfunctory Exams on Longshoremen and Filled Scripts for Narcotics in Elaborate Scheme to Rip Off Insurance Companies
Targeted News Service |
Special Agent in Charge Brian Crowell of the
Targets of the investigation, dubbed "Operation Shore Thing," include
"My father worked as a longshoreman, so I grew up knowing the dangers of the job. I can't imagine how those risks are multiplied when people show up to work high on narcotics. But that is exactly what happened here, longshoremen abusing painkillers prescribed to them by a pill peddling doctor and a crooked chiropractor who conspired to rip off millions from insurance companies in a complex fraud scam. The number of oxycodone pills prescribed by the doctor in this case is a staggering 1,775,703 over four years, enough to cover 7 miles if you placed pill in front of pill. That distance would stretch from Howland Hook to the foot of my office," said
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell said, "We allege Dr. Bhatt was a pain pill trafficker who wrote over 11,692 prescriptions for Oxycodone products over a two year period, and through his illegal activities, Dr. Bhatt netted illicit proceeds in excess of
NYPD Commissioner
Commissioner
"Operation Shore Thing" commenced in
Patients paid for the alleged pain management services by using their insurance and received prescriptions for oxycodone based upon perfunctory or nonexistent treatment rendered by Bhatt at the
Dinardo would bring patients into his offices, the
These exams, if done at all, were not conducted properly, and were conducted to give the appearance of an examination to justify further billable office visits, dispensing prescriptions for oxycodone, and lengthy workers compensation claims. Participating patients would call to get prescriptions for oxycodone and would receive them in return for billable office visits that did not occur, or which were perfunctory and lasted only an average 3-5 minutes. Insurance companies would then be billed for procedures that took 25, 40, or 60 minutes.
Bhatt and Dinardo decided which patients were too risky to see because of possible law enforcement surveillance and instructed members of the enterprise on how to avoid detection by law enforcement. Dinardo employed a lookout to surveil possible law enforcement activities in the vicinity of the
Bhatt also dispensed prescriptions from his
As part of the conspiracy, Bhatt billed
Bhatt would direct patients to use Patel, of the
Alcaras, a longshoreman, managed appointments and the picking up of prescriptions of oxycodone, for the other, separately indicted longshoremen, who received prescriptions for oxycodone without exams by Bhatt or after perfunctory visits to his offices. Alcaras communicated with both Bhatt and Dinardo about the suitability for inclusion or exclusion of individual longshoreman as patients. Alcaras also communicated with Bhatt and Dinardo when longshoreman were needed at one of Bhatt's offices for fraudulent exams to justify further fraudulent billing of insurance companies, or to receive fraudulent doctor's notes to avoid losing their registration as longshoreman. From on or about and between
In addition to participating in the insurance fraud, some of the longshoreman also evaded drug tests at work, learning about them beforehand and using devices like prosthetics, cleansing drinks and synthetic urine to try and pass the test. The investigation also uncovered that several of the longshoreman also went to work under the influence of narcotics.
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Recovered during the execution of search warrants were
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This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney
Participating agencies and investigators were:
-Detective
-Detective
-Detective
-The DEA's Tactical Diversion Squad -
-Inspector General
-Senior Investigator
-
Also, special thanks to
Medical Doctor
Arrested
If convicted of the top charge, enterprise corruption, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
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Chiropractor
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, enterprise corruption, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
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Longshoreman, assigned to the
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, enterprise corruption, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
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Longshoreman, assigned to the
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree, he faces a maximum of 9 years in prison.
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Laborer
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, insurance fraud, he faces a maximum of 7 years in prison.
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Longshoreman, assigned to the
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, insurance fraud, he faces a maximum of 7 years in prison.
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Longshoreman, assigned to the
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, insurance fraud, he faces a maximum of 7 years in prison.
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Longshoreman, assigned to the
Arrested and arraigned
Bail set at
If convicted of the top charge, promoting gambling, he faces a maximum of 4 years in prison.
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Pharmacist
Arrested
If convicted of the top charge, criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance, she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
TNS 30FurigayJane-131220-4585999 30FurigayJane
Copyright: | (c) 2013 Targeted News Service |
Wordcount: | 2487 |
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